A Donaldsonville woman was brutally raped in 1989. 14 years later, when the eventual south Louisiana serial killer Derrick Todd Lee was arrested, Lisa Kelly remembered the face. She immediately notified authorities. As WAFB's Jim Shannon reports, authorities had little to work with. This woman's story is remarkable because the circumstances surrounding her attack are trademark Derrick Todd Lee. However, there was a big problem linking the case to Lee.

Lisa Kelly was raped at knife point in January 1989. At that time, she was living in Donaldsonville with her three-year-old and one-year-old children. The rape was listed as aggravated because a knife was used during the attack. No arrests were ever made. Then in May 2003, the south Louisiana serial killer was arrested in Atlanta. That day, Lisa says, she recognized her attacker from 14 years earlier. She says, "It's like seeing someone you went to high school with years ago. You know where you know that person from. I felt that that was him. That look, that dead eyes stare look, that's was the look I remember." Jim Shannon asks, "Is that the look you remember during the assault?" Kelly says, "Yes, directly over my face."

However, the composite sketch of Lisa's attacker in 1989 hardly resembles Derrick Todd Lee. Then again, the composite authorities released in May of 2003 did not look much like Lee either. The details and circumstances Lisa recounts from her rape are hauntingly similar to the rapes of Lee's murdered victims. She says, "I assumed he was going to kill me. He made that clear. Um, he was wanting it to escalate into something more." She says, "I just prayed that he would roll my body to where, when the kids get up, they wouldn't come into the room and see that."

When Lee was apprehended in 2003, some 14 years later, Lisa called detectives. She wanted them to run the evidence of her aggravated rape against Lee's DNA. Aggravated rape has no statute of limitations, so the evidence should have still been in the hands of law enforcement, but not in Lisa's case. She says, "They said, 'Lisa, I'm sorry. We really screwed up on this one.' That's their exact words. 'The evidence has been destroyed.'"

An Ascension Parish sheriff's spokesman says since the case is pending, they will not comment on the issue. Kelly has filed a civil lawsuit against the parish, claiming emotional damages since her rape kit was destroyed. An Ascension Parish judge has earmarked June 15th for a pre-trial conference.

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Convicted serial killer Derrick Todd Lee appeared in 19th Judicial District Court for a hearing Tuesday morning, where his lawyers asked for more time to prepare his post-conviction appeal. The lawyers from the public appeals defender's office asked for a year, but the judge decided six months was sufficient.

Flanked by Angola State Penitentiary's Special Response Team, Lee headed to Judge Richard D. Anderson's courtroom. Lee's new attorney, Gary Clements, argued the 45 boxes of documents from the original trial are too big to go through so quickly. He said the complexity of the case dictates more time. Anderson countered the claim. He stated the problem with post-conviction is it takes forever. Anderson then gave Lee's attorney six months to answer the motion filed by prosecutors in Dec. 2008 or he would dismiss it.

"I felt that was fair," said Ann Pace, mother of victim Charlotte Murray Pace. "They have to avoid even the appearance of any impropriety in this case. Of course, they have had he's guilty and they have had more than enough time to do everything they need to do, but they have been given six months and I'm sure at the end they will ask for more time and I hope Judge Anderson will deny them."

"The laws have not kept track of the technology," said Lynne Marino, mother of victim Pam Kinamore. "It's ridiculous to have all these post-conviction appeals, ridiculous."

Lee did not say anything during the hearing or on his way to court. He glanced at the packed courtroom during his hearing, rocking back and forth. It's been more than three years since he was before the court that ordered his execution in 2006. One lady shuddered when she found out Lee was in the courtroom next to her. The two mothers of victims also pointed out they thought Lee looked fit.

"I thought the state is taking good care of him, which upsets me. I don't know why we struggle so much to keep him so healthy so he can be put to death. It's a ridiculous waste of taxpayers' time and a slap in the face to the families of the victims," Marino explained. "He looked better than when I last saw him, so obviously, prison must be agreeing with him," Pace added.

Many people were surprised to see Lee at the courthouse at all. He and his attorneys are due back in court in six months.

Pam Laborde, spokeswoman with the Louisiana Department of Safety and Corrections, said Lee died shortly before 9 a.m. Lee was taken to the hospital on Saturday due to a medical condition, according to Laborde.

Lee, 47, has been linked to DNA to the deaths of multiple women. He has been convicted in two of those deaths.